Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-04
Bonds Satrapy.

We puDnsn thls morning " iV''0i
which speaks what may be regarded as
1.-the mind of the people of Virginia
on the subject Of the State debt and the
methods of bulldozing which have been
resorted to by the agents OF the bond
holders. We could fill columns Of our
paper with articles from our State ex-
changes expressing the same views.
The Norfolk Landmarks, always calm
and thoughtful, says the suing OF
grand jury would seem to be rather a
joke than a real proceeding. We see
and hear and read here, there, and
everywhere throughout the Common
wealth, that the people have determined
20 stand by the RIDDLEBERaER bill.
The bondholders no doubt hatter them
selves that they are taking the right
course to coerce the voters of this State
into terms agreeable TO them, but they
will surely find themselves grossly mis-
taken. When it is too late they will
wake up to the true condition OF Things
In BoSD's satrapy.
If Judge BOND chooses to run the
government Of the once honored Com
monwealth of Virginia, and the United
States authorities choose to allow him
so to do, he will have to levy and col
1ect the taxes himself either in person
or by his deputy marshals.
Governor LEE and Judge ATKINS are
as guilty of refusing to receive cou-
pons for taxes as the Commonwealth
Attorney in Judge ATKINs's court
or the Commonwealth officers in
the Capitol. Let all OF them be
treated alike. 1t is not right to
make fish of one and flesh of another.
Especially is il wrong to vex and annoy
and harass The humber officials and
let the highest go scot free. A satrap
ought to be a second HARoUN AL RAs-
Child, and administer even-handedj justice
as he travels through his possessions
and sees or is told of the acts of wrong
doors.
The Baltimore Sun supposes that
the decision rendered in Baltimore on
Wednesday will render null and void
the law of the State. 1t says:
AN IMPORTANT CoUPoS DECISION. -
The decision of Judge Bond, Ill the
case involving the act by which the
State of Virginia sought to break the
force of the Supreme Court decision as
to the validity of the tender OF coupons
in payment of license-taXes, practically
nuiliAes for the time being the leglsla-
ton referred to. The case will be APP
pealed to the Supreme Court; but in
The mean time the decision of Judge
Bond must be accepted as the lava and
the State will be unable to enforce the
notification of coupons rendered Tor
taxes, as was contemplated by the act
of the Legislature which Judge Bond
holds TO be unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court Of Virginia has
decided that the United States Supreme
Court has made no such decision as the
one the Sun seems to be speaking OF.
The law of Virginia is in full force here,
and Judge BOND cannot prevent 1t from
continuing in force. The discharge OF
JOIN SAITH under a writ of hGbeds
corpus does not necessarily imply that
JOIN Brown must be discharged or en-
larced. The revenue officers must fol-
low the law OF the Commonwealth
Ms cxpounded by the highest court In
the State unless it has been pronounced
unconstitutional by the Supreme Court
of the United States. BOND has no
right, nor authority, nor power, nor
even a pretenre or color of right, to
pronounce Virginia law unconstitu-
tional except for the government of hs
own conduct. If law is unconstitu-
tional in his opinion, he must treat 1t
as being unconstitutional but it would
be laughable to maintain that his opin-
ION was binding upon the Supre me
Court of Appeals of Virginia, or any
other court in the State. The Supreme
Court of the United States is the
only tribunal whose decision on
the question of the cOnstitutionality
of law could or would be
binding upon the courts of this Com
monwealth. What BoND opines Is Tor
his own government And all that has
protected him from having many II not
all Of his opinions reversed by the Su
preme Court OF the United States was
the fact that because Of the smalines'
of the amount OF money involved II
many Of the cases he has decided
theee cases could not be taken up. Blu
the one he decided on "Wednesday vii
90 up, and then "we shall see what WI
shall see.
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